Inherent in the manufacturing of massed produced keycaps, also referred to herein as keys, for keyboards is individual keycap imperfections; i.e., not every key is created precisely the same as every other key. To attempt to hide these manufacturing imperfections from consumers, typical keyboards have relatively large keycap gaps, e.g., two and a half to three mm (2.5-3 mm), with a not insignificant keycap wall sloping angle. With such large keycap gaps and sloping wall design the typical keycap placement tolerance on a keyboard of plus or minus three-tenths millimeters (+/−0.3 mm) is not necessarily detrimental to the use of the keyboard. However, when these keycaps are positioned on a keyboard the large keycap gaps, sloping wall design and various inherent key imperfections can result in a keyboard that looks cheap and sloppy, e.g., key rows are crooked because the imperfections in the keycaps result in misalignment, the gaps between keys are perceptively different, etc. For example, the current keyboard tolerance of plus or minus three-tenths millimeters (+/−0.3 mm) can account for greater than an eighty percent (80%) variance in keycap gaps on a keyboard which is negatively perceptible to consumers.
Ultimately these issues can translate into buyer and user dissatisfaction with a company's keyboards.
Moreover, as keyboard companies attempt to create more aesthetically pleasing keyboards with cleaner, crisper lines the keycap gaps become tighter, i.e., smaller, which can actually serve to highlight keycap imperfections and result in an even more sloppy keyboard look. Thus, companies have been known to spend time, resources and money to attempt to reduce keycap manufacturing imperfections with a resultant attempted crisper keyboard look.
Thus it is desirable to develop a keyboard and keycap design that enables keys to self-align themselves in their home, resting, position to reduce the perceptible variance in keycap spacing and result in a cleaner, crisper, keyboard look. It is further desirable to create a universal keycap design that can be easily implemented. It is also advantageous to implement a keycap design that will continue to optimize keyboard manufacturing costs.